Weft-replenishing loom and shuttle therefor



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E. A. CUNNIFF WEFT REPLENISHING LOOM AND SHUTTLE THEREFOR Filed Aug. 51. 192] 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 v E. A. CUNNIFF WEFT REPLENISHING LOOM AND SHUTTLE THEREFOR Filed Aug. 31 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 E v I E :55 ;m

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atented Uct. ltd, llfidb JEDWARD A. CUNNIFF, OF NEW BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 ERVING Y. WOOLLEY, TRUSTEE, OF NEWTON CENTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

VVEF'IItJElPLIEJTSTISITING LOOIVI AND SHUTTLE THEREFOR.

Application filed August 31, 1921. Serial No. 497,212.

T 0 all whom it ma concern.

Be it known that EDWARD A. CUNNIFF, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Bedford, in the county of Bristol, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in \"Veft-Replenishing Looms and Shuttles Therefor, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

Looms in use at the present day, comprising a self-threading shuttle and instrumentalities by which it is supplied with, fresh weft or filling from time to time through the insertion of a wound bobbin or the like carrier into it, are constructed and arranged to effect such supplying of the said shuttle at one side, only, ofa loom. The jaws within the shuttle, for holding the bobbin or other carrier by one end thereof, and the threading device of the shuttle, are arranged with reference to the insertion being effected at one side, alone.

The leading object of the present invention is to provide for thesupplying of a self-threading shuttle with a wound bobbin or the like carrier at either side of the loom in which it is at work, andfor the automatic threading of such shuttlefin either instance. r

The invention resides in a loom comprising, essentially, a self-threading, shuttle, means, at the opposite sides of the loom for supplying a wound bobbin or the like carrier to-the said shuttle at either side of the locm, a-nd means for causing the yarn of the bobbin or carrier supplied at either side of the loom to the shuttle to enter the selfthreading delivery means of the latter automatically in each instance. Also, in a selfthreading shuttle of novel characteristics providing for the reception therein of a wound bobbin or the like carrier at either side of a loom, and for automatic threading of the shuttlein each instance.

.The invention, further, resides in a loom organized to supply weft or filling to the shuttle thereof at each side of the loom by inserting "a reserve Wound bobbin or. the like carrier of weft or filling into the shuttle, magazines for filled bobbins or the like respectively located at the right and left-hand sides of the 100m, weft or filling detector devices detecting for flights of the shuttle in each direction across the loom and adapted to cause transfer from the respective magazines, and a shuttle, adapted to receive a bobbin or the like from either magazine, provided with thread-delivery means threading automatically in either direction.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is represented in the drawings, in which latter,

Fig. 1 shows in front elevation certain portions of a loom, including the said embodirnent.

Fig. 2 shows in pian the parts that are shown in Fig. l,

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a shuttle constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 4 is a top view of the said shuttle.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the threading block and spring jaws of one end of the shuttle shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

Fig. 6 is a bottom view of the said block and jaws.

The loom'that is shown partly in the drawings is providedat its opposite sides with rotary magazines or feeders'of wellknown type for fresh or reserve wound bobbins or the like carriers of weft or filling, each arranged andrelated as in'the case of the usual magazine or feeder of a 100111 of the kind at present in use, and such loom is provided also with transfeirerssuchas are in general use for transferring the bobbins or other carriers successively from the respective magazines or feeders to the shuttle of the loom; and also is provided with two weft-forks, each controlling one of the transferrer mechanisms through connections of usual type. In practically carrying the invention into efl'ect the construe} tion and arrangement may vary considerably; I may utilize any specific known prin ciples of construction, arrangement, and mode of operation that may be found practicable for the purposes of the invention, and instead of using Weft-fork devicesfor selectively bringing about transfer of weft or filling from the respective magazines to the shuttle I may employ other kinds of weft or filling detecting mechanism, and other types of selecting devices.

The drawings show portions of the opposite sides 1, 1,-of the frame of the loom aforesaid. .Also, portions of the breastbeam 2 thereof, portions of the lay-beam 3, portions of the picker-sticks 4, 4, and pickers 5, 5, mounted upon the upper ends of the picker-sticks;

Thetwo magazines which are shown in the drawings, located at the opposite sides of the loom, comprise in each case a revoluble carrier 9 or 9 for reserve filled bobbins or the like, 1O, 10, which is mounted to turn upon a supporting stud (not shown) extend-, ing horizontally from an end-plate 7 or 7 provided with a foot 6 or 6 resting upon the corresponding end of breast-beam 2 and secured by bolts 8, 8, thereto.

The two transferrers 11,11 shown in the drawings, one in connection with each magazine, for transferring reserve bobbins or the like from the magazines to the shuttle, are, as usual, each mounted pivotally upon the end-plate 7 or 7 a of the corresponding magazine, and each has hung pivotally thereto a dog or latch 12 or 12 adapted to be engaged by a hunter (not shown) carried by lay-beam 3, for the actuation ofthe transferrer as the lay in its advancing movementnears front center.

In this illustrative embodiment of'the invention the selective devices, being, as

aforesaid, weft or filling devices detecting for flights of'the shuttle in each direction across the loom, com rise the two weftforks 18, 18, and co perating mechanism of a well-known character. In the relations, etc., of the respective weft-forks, the

usual practice of locating the weft-fork of a loom at theside of the latter opposite from that at which the transferrer which it 0011'- trols, and corresponding 'ma azine, are lothe transferrer at the right-hand side of the loom is rendered operative to place a 1 hand shuttle-box.

reserve bobbin or the like in the shuttle when the latter has returned into the right- The fork, 18, at the right-hand side of the said loom, controls the transferrer 11 of the ma azine at the left-hand side of the loom. t detects for flights of the. shuttle from left to right, and when it detects weft-failure after a flight of the shuttle to the right the transferrer at the left-hand side of the loom is rendered operative to place a reserve bobbin -or the .fixed upon such rockshaft, a contracting spiral spring 14* pulling downward upon the arm 14, and a shuttle feeler 13 having a lateral arojectionl upon which the arm 14 bears and an outwardly projecting arm 13 engaging with a lateral projection of the dog or latch 12 of the transferrer 11 of the right-hand magazine. The action is as heretofore in calling the said transferrer into action to make a transfer from the right-hand magazine into the shuttle when the latter is in position beneath such magazine. The mechanism through which the right-hand weft-fork 18, controls the 'transferrer, 11", of the left-hand magazine comprises the corresponding parts 17, 16, 15, 14?, 14, 13 13, and 13. The action is as heretofore in calling this transferrer into action to make a transfer from the left-hand magazine into the shuttle when the latter is in position beneath such magazme.

Different arrangements of magazines and the bobbins or like carriers of weft or filling therein, accompanied in some instances by different means and modes of roviding for and causing automatic threading of a shuttle following transfer of fresh weft or filling into the same, are known in the art, and-the invention in its broader aspects is not limited in respect of the particular arrangement, means, or mode in question. In the present illustrative embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2, each magazine is arranged, as most common in practice, to support the filled bobbins or like carriers 10, 10, with their butts located inward next the loom side and their ti extended outward away from the loom side. Consequently, at one side of the loom the bobbins or like carriers have their butts and tips disposed oppositely relative to those of the bobbins or like carriers at the other side of the loom. Each magazine is shownrovided with means of the character usual y employed in the case of magazines arranged as shown for assisting in the automatic threading of the shuttle, such 'means including a weft-end supporting flange 9", situated at a short distance outward beyond the tips, ofthe bobbins or like carriers and over the edge of which the starting ends of the weft or filling yarns carried b the bobbins or the like 10, 10, are exten ed, and a weft-end holder 9 (only partly shown) adjacent the said flange, to

which the weft-ends are made fast by'wrapping them around it. llhe described arrangement of the magazine and bobbins in a loom, and employment of flange 9 and weft-end holder 9 have been adopted in practice heretofore because they facilitate the automatic threading of the form of selfthreading shuttle in general use, as the latter is thrown across the loom and back again, with the weft or filling carried by a bobbin or the like that has just been placed in the shuttle. The illustrative embodiment of my invention retains, in these connections, the heretofore accepted principles of construc tion and operation, and the shuttle which is shown in the drawings is designed to utilize the said principles and their advantages. llhat is to say, the novel shuttle A shown in Figs. 3 and 4 embodies certain features of the invention in a form' especially adapting such shuttle for use in conjunction with the particular magazine arrangements shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and just explained. When features of the invention are incorporated in looms having other magazine arrangements, and having modified provisions cooperating in the automatic threading of a shuttle, the specified construction and arrangement of the holding jaws and self-threading thread delivery means of the shuttle will be modified accord' .igly, and this without departing from the s irit and scope of the present invention. n this instance, in order to adapt the shuttle A to be employed in conjunction with opposite magazines, each arranged with the bobbins that are contained therein disposed with their butts next the loom side and their tips extended outward therefrom, and with the weft-end supporting flange 9 and weft-end holder 9 at the outer end of the ma azine, which results in the butts and tips 0 the bobbins being disposed oppositely at the two sides of the loom, the said shuttle is provided at each end of its weft or fillingcontaining chamber, with a pair of holding jaws B, each. pair adapted to receive the head, 10*, Fig. 4, of a bobbin or the like, 10, and to hold the latter in place within the shuttle. The bobbin occupying the shuttle 'in Fig. 4 is disposed with its butt at the left-hand end of the shuttle, and engaged by the jaws B at such end, as in case of being fed or transferred from the righthand magazine in Figs. 1 and 2. A bobbin fed or transferred from the left-hand magazine would occupy a reversed position within the shuttle, namely, with its butt located at the right-hand end of the shuttle and engaged by the jaws at the said end. Further, the said shuttle is rovided at each end thereof with a sel threading threading block C and slotted delivery-eye D. When also into the slotted delivery eye D at such end. When a bobbin is fed or transferred into the shuttle from the left-hand magazine, so that its position within the shuttle is the reverse of that shown in Fig. 4, the weft or filling extending from such bobbin outward to and around the lower portion of the edge of flange 9 of such magazine, and engaged with the adjacent weft-end holder 9, will n like manner enter the passages of the lefthand threading block C and thread delivery eye D in the first flights of the shuttle across the loom and back.

The illustrated shuttle is, so to speak, a double-header; or, in other words, a combined right-hand and left-hand shuttle.

For convenience in construction, I have in this instance made the jaws B at each end of the shuttle fast with the threading block, the latter, as usual in practice, being formed with the delivery eye C.

An ordinary weft-replenishing loom having a magazine and transferrer at one side of the loom only, controlled by a weft-fork at the opposite side, produces fabrics of a more or less defective character, causing such fabrics to be classed as seconds in some instances. That is to say, the ick will not .be matched in case the weft or illing carried by the shuttle breaks or comes to an end in the flight of the shuttle toward the magazine side of the loom. Consequently, a break in the weave will present itself in the fabric. A loom having a magazine and transferrer at each side thereof, and weft-detector devices detecting for picks in both directions, will match the pick, in whichever direction of flight the breakage or failure pcresents itself,

and consequently the fabric produced thereby will be free from the breaks in the weave which occur in the case first mentioned.

hat is claimed as the invention is.

l. A loom comprising, essentially, a selfthreading shuttle, means at the opposite sides of the loom for supplying a wound bobbin or the like carrier to the said shuttle at either side of the loom, and means for causing the yarn of the bobbin or carrier supplied at either side of the loom to the shuttle to enter the self-threadin, delivery means of the latter automatically in each instance.

2. A loom shuttle of the type employed in till replenishing looms, provided with bobbin holding jaws permitting automatic insertion of a fresh bobbin or the like carrier and ejection of the spent one, and having selfthreading thread-delivery means arranged for automatic threading when the shuttle is supplied with a bobbin or the like carrier at either side of the loom.

3. A loom organized to supply weft or filling to the shuttle thereof at each side of the loom by inserting a reserve bobbin or the like carrier of weft or filling into the shuttle, comprising in combination magazines for filled bobbins or the like respectively located at the right and left hand sides of the loom, weft or filling detector devices detecting for flights ofthe shuttle in each direction across the loom and adapted to cause transfer from the respective magazines, and a shuttle, adapted to receive a bobbin or the like from either magazine, provided with thread-delivery means threading automatically in either instance.

4. A loom organized to supply weft or filling to the shuttle thereof at each side of the loom, comprising in combination magazines for filled bobbins or the like carriers of weft or filling respectively located at the right and'left hand sides of the loom, weft or filling detector devices detecting for flights of the shuttle in each direction across the loom and adapted to cause transfer from the respective magazines, and a shuttle having right-hand and left-hand jaws, respectively at its opposite ends, and having also thread-delivery means threading automatically in both instances after transfer from the respective magazines.

5. A loom organized to supply weft or filling to the shuttle thereof at each side of the loom, comprising in combination magazines for filled weft or filling carriers respectively located at the right and left-hand sides of the loom, weft or filling detector devices detecting for flights of the shuttle in each direction across the loom and adapted to cause transfer from the respective magazines, and a shuttle having carrier-holding means adapted to receive and hold a carrier from either magazine and also having righthand and left-hand thread-delivery means threading automatically in both instances.

6. A loom organized to supply weft or filling to the shuttle at each side of the loom, comprising in combination magazines for filled bobbins or the like weft or filling carriers respectively located at the right and left-hand sides of the loom, weft or filling detector devices detecting for flights of the shuttle in each direction across the loom and adapted to cause transfer from the respective magazines, and a shuttle having at its opposite ends right-hand and left-hand, respectively, holding jaws and self-threading delivery means.

.7. A shuttle constructed for insertion of a fresh weft or filling carrier at one side of the shuttle and ejection of a spent carrier at the opposite side, in a replenishing operation, having right-hand holding jaws and left-hand holding jaws adapted to receive and hold a carrier facing right hand or left hand as the case may be, and having also thread-delivery means threading automatically in either position of the freshly-inserted carrier.

8. A shuttle having right-hand and lefthand holding jaws adapted respectively to permit insertion of a fresh weft or filling carrier into the shuttle and ejection of a spent carrier in a weft replenishing operation, and having right-hand and left-hand thread-delivery devices threading automatically in both instances.

9. A shuttle constructed for insertion of a fresh'weft or filling carrier at one side of the shuttle and ejection of a spent carrier at the opposite side, in a replenishin operation, having at its opposite ends rig rt-hand holding jaws and left-hand holding jaws, respectively, and also right-hand and lefthand self-threading thread-delivery means.

10. A loom organized to enable a filled bobbin or the like weft or filling carrier to be supplied to the shuttle thereof at each side of the loom, comprising a double-header self-threading shuttle, magazines respectively located at the opposite sides of the loom, and means for transferring a bobbin or the like from each magazine to the said shuttle as required.

11.. A loom organized to enable a filled bobbin or the like weft or filling carrier to be supplied to the shuttle thereof at each side of the loom, comprising magazines respectively located at the opposite sides of the loom, means for transferring a bobbin or the like from each magazine to the shuttle as required, and a shuttle adapted to receive and hold by one end the bobbin or the like thus transferred from either magazine, provided with thread-delivery means selfthreading in both instances.

12. A loom organized to supply weft or filling to the shuttle thereof at each side of the loom by inserting a reserve bobbin or the like carrier of weft or filling into the shuttle, comprising in combination magazines for filled bobbins or the like respectively located at the right and left sides of the loom, devices for selectively calling for and effecting transfer of weft or fillin from the respective magazines to the shutt e, and a shuttle adapted to receive a bobbin or the like from the respective magazines, provided with thread-delivery means threading automatically in either instance.

13. A shuttle for use in weft replenishing looms, having bobbin-holding means at each of its respective ends, and having automaticelly threading yarn-delivery deviees at each ing means adjoining the respective bobbinof its respective ends, and adapted to conolding means. 10 tein a single bobbin facing in either direc- In testimony whereof I aflix my signature tion. in presence of two Witnesses.

14. A shuttle having a Weft-chamber, bob- EDWARD A. CUNNIF F. bin-holding means at opposite ends of said Witnesses: chamber, adapted to receive a bobbin facin Ones. F. RANDALL,

in either direction, and opposite self-three ELLEN 0. SPRING. 

